Trifluoroethylene (i.e., CF.sub.2 =CHF or HFC-1123) is a useful monomer for the preparation of fluorocarbon polymers.
HFC-1123 can be produced from CCl.sub.2 FCClF.sub.2 (CFC-113) by reaction with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst comprising palladium and at least one other metal selected from gold, tellurium, antimony, bismuth and arsenic (U.S. Pat. No. 5,283,379). HFC-1123 can also be prepared from CF.sub.2 =CClF (CFC-1113) by reaction with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst comprising palladium or platinum on a magnesium oxide carrier (U.S. Pat. No. 5,089,454). A product of over-hydrogenolysis from both CFC-113 and CFC-1113 is CH.sub.2 FCHF.sub.2 (HFC-143). There is continuing interest in developing efficient processes for the manufacture of HFC-1123.